By Daniel Winningham
The Perryville Board of Aldermen adopted a 2021-22 pay plan at its March 2 meeting. In addition, a first reading of an ordinance related to the city’s 2021-22 budget was unanimously approved.
A second reading of the city’s budget will be part of the agenda when the Board of Aldermen meet Tuesday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m.
The board typically votes on the ordinances in mid-March, according to city treasurer Paula Terbrak.
“That way the budget is fully approved before the start of April, when it goes into effect,” Terbrak said.
The city begins the budget process a couple months prior to when the board votes on the plan.
“We start the discussions in early January, meeting with dep. heads and the board,” Terbrak said.
Alderman Larry Riney chairs the city’s finance committee, which meets at 5:30 p.m. prior to the first Board of Aldermen meeting each month.
“It’s very similar to what we had last year,” she said, referring to the 2021-22 spending plan. “We try to make sure whatever we spend we’ll still have reserves. Nothing is final until after the second reading.”
Board welcomes new officer (subhead)
New police officer Eli Isgriggs was introduced to the Perryville Board of Aldermen at the start of the March 2 meeting.
He began working with the police department in late January after completing a 1,000-hour program at Jefferson College.
Working in law enforcement has been a childhood dream of his, Isgriggs said.
“I’m hoping to get to a ranked position in the future,” Isgriggs said, who resides in Hillsboro.
Alderman Larry Riney asked about the area to be burned at a March 2 meeting and suggested having it be manicured and maintained on a monthly basis.
“The conservation department should, at least once a month, have somebody there and maybe a person from the city,” Riney said.
City officials met with Missouri Department of Conservation staff March 3. A 10-year agreement was approved in November 2015 and March 3 was the first time the area was burned.
“The city’s staff is now trained and will conduct future burns,” said Perryville city administrator Brent Buerck. “They are planning to overseed the area now that it has been burned off and insert more flowers and vegetation. It should help beautify the area.”
MDC thinks burning the area every two to three years may be better than an annual burn, Buerck said.
Purchase agreement (subhead)
The Board approved a tax-exempt equipment lease purchase agreement with the Perryville branch of First State Community Bank.
The principal amount for the lease is $209,179.80, and funds seven 2021 Ford Explorer police interceptor vehicles from Bening Ford.
The city is to make payments of $71,098.68 April 2 in each of the next three years, paying a total of $213,296.04. This will result in a combined total of $4,116.24 in paid interest when the final payment is made April 2, 2023.
Seminary building index (subhead)
Alderman Prince Hudson recently provided the city with an update on work being done to provide a listing of the buildings on the seminary grounds to better help first responders in the event of an emergency.
“For years, we’ve had all these buildings and all these events,” Hudson said. “How would you tell someone how to get there. The regional planning has helped identify the buildings, which will be marked. A list of the buildings will be distributed to the police and fire departments as well as the ambulances service, to assist in better locating the specific location of where an individual is at in the event of an emergency.
Hudson said the city has been fortunate there have been no major medical calls for individuals attending events over the years.
“We’ve been lucky for all these years, I think it’s time we try to help fix that because we’re getting more and more buildings out there all the time,” Hudson said.
